Module 2 chapter 3 stitched strips

following my latest feedback from Sian, I have created some blocks of stitching rather than strips.

sample a: Butterfly wing as inspiration

Black thread top and bottom, zig zag and straight stitch with dog feed up. Sian suggested giving this a try and I am pleased with the resulting piece. it has the delicacy of a butterfly wing but as a design rather than trying to replicate the pattern exactly.
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Module 2 chapter 3 machine stitched strips

Befor I start stitching I decided to have a go at drawing from some of the animal mark photos I had collected

A.Butterfly wing

B.Zebra skin

C. Snake sk

D. Cheetah skin

                                           

Now to make a few strips.

Module 2 Chapter 3 cable stitch effect

So with my un-tensioned bobbin case hand wound onto the bobbin I tried out this effect for the first time. Apart from not being able to see what you are producing this is a great technique and was really pleased with the 3 samples I made.

Sample i, straight stitch 

 Sample ii, straight stitch

 

Sample iii using zig zag

 

 

Module Two Chapter 3 Whip stitch samples

I was really looking forward to trying this out, I have seen the effects you can get using this method to create texture. So I began to loosen the tension on the bobbin case and tried to get the whip stitch effect, no luck, more loosening and more stitching....nothing. So again I loosened the tension on the bobbin case and ping the bobbin case fell apart, I then spent the next 1/2 hr or so trying to find the screw my room is not very big but the screw had disapeared completely. Now what to do as I didn't want the same thing to happen to the new case I had just bought. I thought I would give the untensioned case a go and was surprised and pleased with the results.

 

Sample A

 

Sample B

 

Sample C

 

Sample D

 

Sample E

 

Sample F

 

Sample G using white thread on the bobbin

 

Sample H using white thread and zig zag

 

Back of Sample H

 

Sample I

 

 

Back of Sample I

 

Module 2 Chapter 3 Tonal effects in machine stiching

My old Bernina is a very basic model without lots of fancy stitches so it was a bit of a challenge to try and make the samples look different

 

Sample 1 using scallop pattern and varying the stitch length and distance

 

 

Sample 2 using straight stich and varying the spacing.

 

Sample 3, uneven straight stitching

 

Sample 4 straight stitch trying to vary the stitch length (didn't seem to have much of a different effect to the other straight stitch sample)

 

Sample 5 straight stitch again but closer lines to create a denser surface

 

Sample 6 uneven zig zag

 

Sample 7 varied stitch lengths and working over stitches using zigzag

 

 

Sample 8 denser zig zag

 

Sample 9

 

Sample 10

 

 

 

It's been a while.......

Wow I hadn't realised how long ago it was since my last blog post, Having spent the time working on our 3 allotments, new job and  various family things time has just slipped by without me looking at my Distant stitch module.
I was lucky enough to get a place on 2 workshops that came to Norfolk during the Summer the first was a day workshop with Carol Naylor at Wroxham Barns http://www.carolnaylor.co.uk/ looking at landscapes, I managed to work on a couple of samples during the day and it was great to meet up with people interested in machine embroidery too. The second was a 2 day workshop with Cas Holmes http://www.casholmes.textilearts.net/ which was brilliant, we looked at reconstructing pages from a book and incorporated it with fabric, teabag paper and print. I looked at the native Norfolk swallowtail butterfly and its ever decreasing habitat and some how managed to create 4 delicate circular folding pages which I hope to make into a finished book form. Pictures to follow

Module two chapter 2 A tonal column in stitches

Sample 1. Using just black threads in different thickness and different size stitches.

I used varying thickness black threads in x stitching, some of the xs have been overlapped to create darker areas at the beginning of the sample.

Blackwork tonal columns

Sample A

Simple triangular shapes to create tone using pattern development. This my first sample and my least successful.

Sample B.

This sample again uses pattern development to create tones.

Sample C

This time I went back to the triangle pattern idea and used pattern development as well as overlapping,varying the spacing and sizes of the shapes.

Sample D

This sample uses various thickness of threads starting with cotton perle, mouline stick twist,silk embroidery floss and two other fine blackwork threads. 

Game of Thrones

Alison Garner a Distant Stitch student shared a link on Facebook today Friday 31st January, this was originally posted by another Distant Stitch student Helen MacRichie. Game of Thrones Costumes. I have just started reading the books and also got series one for Christmas (I know I am way behind but better late than never). I knew the costumes were fantastic and fell in love with  Daenerys dress from Season 3. Designer Michele Clapton wanted a dragonscale like textured embroidery on the dress, i also thought it fitted in well with this module too, hopefully by posting it here it will continue to inspire me.

I love the textures that she has created and couldn't resist posting the images from the website Smartterist.com.

Chapter 1 module 2 The study of tone

Making tonal columns

1. Using uni all pen.

2. Koh-I-noor ink

3. Felt tip pen stars

4. Ink pad and the end of a pen.

5. Charcoal and pastels.

6. Mixed media inks, print,charcoal and pastels.

I then had a play in photoshop using the star tonal coloumn

cross hatch tool

Liquify tool

patchwork tool

sponge tool

Tonal column using Scribbler tool